Reviews

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

mariana_ag1997's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Good ideas, Bad execution

beccajoek's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars.
not as good as the first book. lost some of the magic and could have been about 100 pages shorter but still a great series.

librarian_of_valencia's review against another edition

3.0

This book was good, but it did not quite live up to my expectations after the first. It lacked the depth of character-development and relationships which I so enjoyed in the first installment, and the ending did not feel quite satisfying for all of the characters.
Nevertheless, it was a fun listen, and I would recommend it for those who enjoyed the first and want to know more about what happened to the characters. Just don't expect those characters to be as deep and interesting as they were the first time around.

ana_reading_the_days_away's review against another edition

3.0

This was a 5 star until the end. It was just really unsatisfying

lauriestein's review against another edition

3.0

I still think this is some of the best YA fantasy out there right now. I loved the direction taken in this book and appreciated the backgrounding of the romantic subplot through much of it. But toward the ending, there were such pacing issues that I wonder if the story wouldn't have been better served by extending the series to a trilogy. Everything, from the wonderfully complex political entanglements to Seraphina's psychological issues to the place in society of the half-dragons, wrapped up lickety-split. I thought the "resolution" of the Serephina/Kiggs/Glisselda triangle was perfect, but how did they get there? Readers had invested so much into those friendships over the course of the two novels that the offhand remark about them "having a lot to discuss in private" felt the author used a cheat code to wrap it up.

sidnarwhal's review against another edition

3.0

This book was so much fun to read but the dialogue, again, was lacking, and the romance was weak and embarrassing to read. These aren't central to the story so it was easy to ignore, and the end, although it meanders off and doesn't really do much to bring about any closure what so ever, suits the story. It really does feel like a narration from the character. An ending like this wouldn't work for most books, but it works for this one.

elizabethbane's review against another edition

4.0

I remember struggling with this the first time I read it, and I can see why upon reread. It's definitely not as tight as the first one but still resonated with me deeply. 

michellehenriereads's review against another edition

3.0

I felt a little disappointed. It’s not that I didn’t like the second book in these series, because I did, nevertheless it lacked the zest of Seraphina and I was more than disappointed in the conclusion of the romance.

The writing had a very logical foundation. I was glad to discover the relationship with Jannoula and her motivation.

There were a couple of odd things for a young adult novel. I thought it was a little weird ...

To read a full review go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com

the61stbookworm's review against another edition

4.0

I adored the first book and enjoyed this one, but felt the beginning was a little slow (and oddly cheery, given the tone of the Seraphina) and the ending a little rushed. I feel it could do with a third book, only set several years later, because it is slightly open-ended and I want to be sure what happened! I was also irritated by the recap of Seraphina at the start, because this was a great idea but the author still felt the need to unnecessarily explain what happened in Seraphina at points in the text. And finally Kiggs and Orma, my two favourite characters, did not feature anywhere near as much. All of that being said, it was gripping and exciting, and we explored more of the dragon culture again, so I was very happy.

el_reads17's review against another edition

2.0

I haven't felt so conflicted about a book all year... Review pending.
2 STARS
Update-- Seraphina had the potential to be a great book! I almost love/hate this book. I'm still annoyed a month later about the missed opportunity.
Pros:
- interesting cast of characters that you grow to care for - this saved the book from being 1 star.
- imaginative worldbuilding
- surprising and good plot twists

Cons
- Seraphina has zero agency! Such a change from book one. So many issues could've been solved or avoided if she actually did something, anything at all
- 200 pages too long. There's enough material here that could've been turned into 2 good books that are both individually better than this one
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